palpable.
Gigi nodded once and then disappeared upstairs. Once she was gone, Grace moved to the back door to stare out at the churning ocean.
“Sorry about this, Grace,” Vince said from behind her.
“It’s not your fault.” She gave him a sympathetic smile. “I’ve had my share of feuding couples.”
He let out a sardonic chuckle. “I should’ve known better. I knew the husband was a hard pass, but when Gigi called…” He shrugged. “You know how unpredictable people can be.”
“I do.” She patted his arm. “It’s really too bad though, isn’t it? This house is hers in every way except for the name on the title.”
“It is.” He sighed and stuffed his hands into his pockets. “This isn’t good news for either of us.”
“Nope.”
Gigi reappeared, looking ethereal as she practically floated down the stairs. Her smile was radiant, and Grace thought she’d never seen another person so at peace. The woman was an enigma. How could she be so Zen after that scene with her husband? Grace would’ve been spitting nails for the rest of the night. That was one perk of being divorced though. She hadn’t had to consider Bill’s input when she purchased her cottage. She smiled to herself as she thought about the day she’d moved in. The feeling of having something all her own after years of compromise had been sweeter than she’d ever imagined.
“Grace, it was a pleasure to meet you,” Gigi said, extending her hand.
Grace took it with both of hers. “The feeling is mutual. Please let Vince know if you have any other questions about this place. I’d be happy to answer them.”
She smiled. “Thanks. There is one thing you can do for me.”
“Okay. Name it.”
“I really would like to know the identities of the spirits haunting this place. I think it might help convince my husband they aren’t evil. To me they feel… protective.”
Grace thought she was probably right about that. At the very least, they were protective of her. “I’ll see what I can do. I’m not experienced in communicating with spirits, so no guarantees.”
“Something tells me you’re a quick learner.” She winked at Grace and then glided over to Vince. “I have to go. James is waiting.”
Vince glanced at Grace and mouthed over Gigi’s head that he’d be in touch. Then he placed a hand on Gigi’s back and whispered something in her ear that sounded like he was asking if everything was okay with James and if she needed any help.
Good. That guy had warning signs all over him, and it pleased Grace to know that Vince was looking out for Gigi.
Owen moved to the back door to close and lock it. When he returned to Grace’s side, he said, “I don’t know if I can top the show that just rolled through here, but if you’re still up for it, I’d love to take you to dinner.”
Grace glanced at the time on her phone. It was already a quarter to eight, and suddenly she was exhausted after her long day. Not to mention she had an early appointment in the morning with a potential new buyer. “What do you say to takeout? We could go back to my house. There’s a really good deli a few blocks from here.”
His eyes sparkled as his lips curved into a slow smile. “Sounds perfect.”
Chapter Nine
“Do you want to walk down to the beach?” Grace asked Owen. They’d just returned to her house with their deli sandwiches, and the summer sun was hanging low in the sky. Her nerves were all over the place as she suggested, “There’s a picnic table down there. We could eat while watching the sunset.”
“That sounds just about perfect, Grace.”
“Give me just one minute to change and lose these shoes.” She slipped into her house and emerged a few minutes later wearing her favorite white blouse, jeans, and her flip-flops. She’d also grabbed a bottle of wine and two plastic wine glasses.
Owen clutched the bag of food and then took her free hand in his as he let her guide him toward the path that led to the beach.
“If we’re lucky we might even glimpse the seals while they’re having their own dinner,” she said.
“Really? Do they show up often?”
“Yeah. More often than not. It’s one of the reasons I decided to get a house on this side of town.” She glanced over at him, giving him a relaxed smile. “There’s just something about watching the sea life that fills me with peace. It’s like the natural order of